Once Upon A Time
by SilentProtagonist000
Summary: Luke can't sleep, so the Professor tells him a bedtime story. Dialogue fic. Luke/Layton fluff.


**I write dialogue fics when I'm too lazy to shit out description.**

**Shounen-ai underage fluff. No smut here. Just pure sugary goodness.**

**So I love this fandom, even though I've just entered it. Reviews would be appreciated.**

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"Professor?"

"What is it, my boy? It's very late. What are you still doing up?"

"I… I can't fall asleep, sir."

"Oh, I see. Is something bothering you?"

"No. Can you tell me a story? Maybe that'll help."

"Well, I suppose I could. I don't seem have any picture books lying around, though."

"Could you make one up as you go along?"

"Yes, I certainly could. Come here and sit beside me, Luke."

"Okay, Professor."

"What would you like your story to be about?"

"Anything at all."

"All right. Once upon a time—"

"Can it be a love story?"

"Now, Luke, a gentleman doesn't interrupt."

"Oh. I'm sorry, sir."

"It's quite all right. Yes, it may be a romance tale if you so please. Once upon a time, there lived a princess in a faraway land."

"What does she look like?"

"Goodness, is superfluous description necessary, Luke?"

"I want to picture her in my head."

"Fine, fine. She was a tall, imposing woman with long blonde hair that reached past her waist, but she was the kindest person in all the land, so she was never truly feared."

"Can her hair be brown instead?"

"… Yes."

"And can she be short?"

"You're rather picky tonight, aren't you, my boy?"

"I just want her to be perfect."

"All right. The princess's name was—"

"Luke!"

"… Luke is a boy's name, young man."

"She can have a boy's name. There's nothing wrong with that. Maybe her parents thought she was a boy before she was born and had a name picked out for her, and when they discovered she was a girl, they called her Luke anyhow. It's almost similar to a puzzle, Professor."

"I see what you mean. You know, Luke, the audience hardly has the role of the storyteller."

"Oh! I'll be quiet now."

"No, you are fine. Your input is intriguing. Anyway, let's move on with the story. The princess had special aplomb with solving puzzles. People came from across the ocean to have their issues worked out by her."

"How did she learn how to solve puzzles, Professor?"

"Princess Luke grew up with a tutor who taught her this invaluable skill, and she plied it better than he."

"I'll bet her mentor was very handsome."

"… Er, well, perhaps he was."

"What next, Professor?"

"Well, when the princess came of age, she was pursued by many suitors of all ages, backgrounds, and posterities. There was a neighboring prince who wished to marry her, and her parents, the king and queen, preferred him best. Princess Luke, however, did not, because he would only wed her on the condition that she give up solving puzzles."

"Princess Luke would never do such a thing."

"Of course she wouldn't! That would be absurd."

"Is this prince the villain?"

"He can be, if you'd like."

"He sounds selfish and crass. I'd rather he was."

"What would you like the prince's name to be?"

"Flora!"

"Why, Luke, I thought you and Flora were close companions. Why would she be the antagonist?"

"Flora is my friend, but she can be mean sometimes. So she's the bad guy, okay?"

"… If you say so. Shall we continue the story, my boy?"

"Please, Professor. This is getting interesting."

"One day, Prince… ah, Flora came to Princess Luke's kingdom and formally proposed to her. Princess Luke rejected the engagement straightaway, but her parents ignored her and began making nuptial arrangements with Prince Flora. Princess Luke went to her room and cried, unsure of what to do."

"Princess Luke wouldn't cry. She'd beat Flora up."

"A gentleman—or, woman, I suppose—should never be violent, Luke."

"… Okay."

"Princess Luke did not know where to turn. For the first time in her life, she was ensnared in a problem she could not resolve."

"So she went to the one person she trusted more than anybody else for help."

"And who would that be?"

"Her mentor! Professor Hershel Layton!"

"I don't really like to insert myself into my stories, Luke."

"I inserted you, so it's okay."

"Very well. She summoned her teacher, Professor Hershel Layton, and asked him what to do. Do you know what he said, my boy?"

"He said, 'This reminds me of a puzzle!'"

"Indeed. So the two concocted a complex plan together to get rid of the wicked Prince Flora and give Princess Luke her freedom back."

"What was the plan?"

"They decided to trick Prince Flora by setting up a trap. Princess Luke agreed to call upon him one afternoon, and when Prince Flora entered the great hall in the castle, the Professor would pull a lever. A door would open beneath the prince's feet, and the Professor would hold him hostage until he agreed to break off the wedding."

"But Princess Luke feared this would cause a war between their countries."

"Did she?"

"Yes, and she loved her countrymen. She wanted to keep them out of danger, so she asked the Professor if she could use her backup plan."

"Why come to him in the first place if she already knew what to do?"

"Because Princess Luke loved her Professor and always consulted him before attempting an especially difficult puzzle."

"… Well, I suppose that would make sense. What was her other idea?"

"On the afternoon when the Professor was supposed to spring the trap, Princess Luke did summon Prince Flora, as well as her parents. They sat together in the great hall, presumably to discuss the matrimony, but Princess Luke had other plans. She asked the Professor to come in, and he did."

"Why was the Professor part of the conversation, my boy?"

"You'll find out. Once the Professor arrived, the princess sprung from her seat and kissed him."

"Kissed him?!"

"Yes! She told the king and queen that she'd had feelings for her Professor for many years and that she wished to marry him instead. They were delighted, because the Professor was a wonderful man and respected all across the country. The engagement with Prince Flora was called off, and Princess Luke and Professor Layton got married. They lived happily ever after. The end."

"… I was not expecting the story to take this turn."

"Well, I did say I wanted a love story, didn't I?"

"Yes, but… with me? How puzzling."

"Who else would it be? Princess Luke was madly in love with her Professor, after all."

"I… I don't think he knew."

"He knew when she kissed him. Was he happy?"

"… Yes. The Professor was very happy, I'm sure."

"Good! I'm glad. Thank you for the story, sir. I'm starting to feel sleepy, so maybe I should go to bed now."

"That would be a stellar idea."

"Good night, Professor. I love you."

"Good night, Luke. Er, hold on a moment. I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"Do you think Princess Luke would mind if the Professor gave her a kiss this time around?"

"She wouldn't mind at all, sir."

"Come here, then, my boy."


End file.
